Is Ricky Thornton Jr. racing the Snowball Derby? Two days ago if you asked that question you’d have been laughed at most likely, but as of today it sounds like it’s a possibility according to Kenny Wallace.

The former NASCAR Cup Series driver turned dirt racing start and TV personality took to his Facebook page to say that he has “started the search for an Asphalt (sic) journey for Ricky Thornton.”

“People have called me offering up some of the best cars to Ricky Thornton for the Snowball Derby or Winchester 400,” Wallace said on Facebook. “On the other hand, I have contacted some of the best teams in NASCAR and their response was ‘Let us think about it and we will get back to you.’”

Wallace continued on by saying that “whether it happens or not, his name is being talked about in the asphalt world.”

Thornton, who just joined Koehler Motorsports after abruptly losing his seat at SSI Motorsports this week, is known to race just about anything with four wheels and an engine. “RTJ” has obviously won a ton of Dirt Late Model races in recent years as well as Dirt Modified races. He also came close to scoring a Golden Driller at the Tulsa Shootout in Micro Sprints, he thrilled fans at the Chili Bowl in a Midget, and nearly had a deal together to race last year’s Eldora Million in a Sprint Car before deciding against it at the request of his Late Model car owner. 

But one thing he hasn’t done is race on pavement. However, it sounds like that is now a real possibility according to Wallace.

Thornton would be doing something that fellow Dirt Late Model ace Jonathan Davenport has done if he was to try his hand at a pavement Late Model. Davenport was initially on the NASCAR path going from Legends cars to Pro Late Model racing. Davenport even made a start in the Snowflake 100 at Five Flags Speedway back in 2001 while he was on the pavement path. 

Since then, Davenport, much like Thornton now, went on to win just about everything there is to win in a Dirt Late Model before finally getting his NASCAR chance at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2023. Although it was on the dirt, Davenport made a start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Cup Series on the high-banks of Bristol Motor Speedway.

Is it possible that we’ll see Thornton on the high-banks of Bristol on the concrete some day? We’ll just have to wait and see.

But for now, RTJ and his new Koehler Motorsports team are headed to 34 Raceway in Iowa on Thursday night with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series where Thornton is the current points leader.